Reading Station improvements

[whole diary]

[SandTEngineer]

I will get around to responding to some very good points ( ) made in the posts above but please also remember that all of the main signals are fitted with TPWS^▸ (Train Protection and Warning System) and GW^▸ (Great Western) ATP^▸ (Automatic Train Protection) which is designed to stop trains before reaching a point of conflict (usually, but not always, within the signal overlap length).

You might also note the content of my signature in the footer of this message.

[Oxman]

Amongst all the discussion about the technical bits, its probably worth asking the question: "Well, is it working?".

In other words, with the viaduct now open, what effect is it and the other alterations having on timekeeping and operations.

I was once a Duty Manager at Reading, and did a few shifts as lead dispatch on the old platform 4 in the afternoons and on 5/8 in the morning peak, so have a measure of experience. Having spent a modicum of time watching what now goes on from the transfer deck, my first impression is that the new layout is already making a huge difference.

I spent 40 minutes there this evening in the early peak. It was good to see the departure screens showing everything on time. I noticed several fast services arriving early - for example, a down Cotswold service was 4 early into platform 9, and it was great to see up services sweeping down off the viaduct and actually waiting time at platforms 10/11. I watched a down Bristol service pulling into platform 12 and, before it had stopped, the Penzance service was entering platform 7, two minutes early. Unfortunately, the Penzance service was held for two minutes whilst waiting for a Cross Country from the South to enter platform 3!

Saw a smart bit of operating when the 16.10 XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) service to the North from P8 was given a single yellow onto the DM, as an on time XC arrival from the North took the crossovers on the viaduct to the festival line en route to platform 3. This service cleared the cross overs and the northbound service was given a clear road well before it got near the signal protecting the crossovers. The 1612 down Swansea service had arrived early in P9 and waited for the 16.10 XC to clear the section - its starting signal cleared a few seconds before 1612 and the service was on the move 40 seconds later. All in all, nice work.

One issue I have noticed is that most (?) down Bristol trains are routed through platform 12, meaning they cross from the mains to the reliefs at Kennet and back to the mains at Tilehurst. They often lose a few minutes on the approach to Reading. I think the reason for the routing is to avoid a clash with services off the up Westbury, routed through P8, and along the down main before crossing to the up main at Kennet.

My impression is that the new layout has already made a huge difference to operations, and that the introduction of the feeders and the full festival lines at Easter will eliminate some of the obvious problems that still remain. The Bristol services will presumably then be routed through P8/9, so eliminating another source of delay.

Two observations about performance in general:

First, I have noticed up trains losing time between Swindon and Didcot - is there a problem there?

Second, (touch wood), FGW^▸ (First Great Western) seems to have had a pretty good run, performance wise, in January. No doubt Taplow Green can correct me!!!!

[bobm]

First, I have noticed up trains losing time between Swindon and Didcot - is there a problem there?

There has been a 20mph emergency speed restriction at Wantage Road on the up for the last few days.

[Gordon the Blue Engine]

Amongst all the discussion about the technical bits, its probably worth asking the question: "Well, is it working?".


Saw a smart bit of operating when the 16.10 XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) service to the North from P8 was given a single yellow onto the DM, as an on time XC arrival from the North took the crossovers on the viaduct to the festival line en route to platform 3. This service cleared the cross overs and the northbound service was given a clear road well before it got near the signal protecting the crossovers. The 1612 down Swansea service had arrived early in P9 and waited for the 16.10 XC to clear the section - its starting signal cleared a few seconds before 1612 and the service was on the move 40 seconds later. All in all, nice work.

Oxman, I was on the footbridge as well yesterday between P9/P10 and observed this move - I saw someone behind me also watching which may very well have been yourself! As you say, it illustrates how well the new layout works with the XC's etc.  And because the conflicting moves are now further down the line from the platforms, it's easier for the signallers to set up routes away from platforms (even if it's only a yellow) so it's less likely dispatchers will have to wait for a signal to clear before giving the RA.

[Adelante_CCT]

Amongst all the discussion about the technical bits, its probably worth asking the question: "Well, is it working?".

Couldn't agree more, for years more often than not in the mornings I would see an HST^▸ (High Speed Train) or southbound XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) stopped at or slowly approaching signal 47 over the top of Cow Lane at around 07:30 and since xmas all trains at this time have been simply gliding straight into the station, and as Oxman says, things should improve further after Easter with the other diveunders open.

[Oxman]

Thanks for that, Bobm, That explains why the up service I caught from Didcot was showing as on time and then turned up 5 mins late.

Just going back to dispatching from Reading, I was chatting to a DM there a few days ago and he was quick to acknowledge that they had to be much sharper now. In the bad old days, many small platform delays were masked by the regular "WLC" (waiting line clear), something which happens only infrequently now.

[CCTV99]

I'm curious about this move on Saturday 24th Jan.

An Up, London direction (Acton?) bound stone train from Westbury.
Passing through Reading Station on the Down Relief through platform 12

This train clearly couldn't have come via the Westbury line.
Is it possible that it routed via Swindon?
Is that a normal routing?

If it has arrived from the west on the Up Relief, is it typical to have switched to the Down Relief lines to pass through Reading, presumably due to platform occupation?
(I do appreciate that all platforms a Bi-Directional.)

Video here....  https://www.flickr.com/photos/danwarman1/16354666161/


CCTV99

[CCTV99]

I'm curious about this move, possibly on Saturday 24th Jan. as stated the caption.

An Up, London direction (Acton?) bound stone train, stated to have come from Westbury.
Passing through Reading Station on the Down Relief through platform 12

This train clearly couldn't have come via the Westbury line.
Is it possible that it routed via Swindon?
Is that a normal routing?

Of course the caption could be wrong and the train originated elsewhere?

If it has arrived from the west on the Up Relief, is it typical to have switched to the Down Relief lines to pass through Reading, presumably due to platform occupation?
(I do appreciate that all platforms a Bi-Directional.)

Video here....  https://www.flickr.com/photos/danwarman1/16354666161/


CCTV99

[DidcotPunter]

Routed via Westbury, Melksham, Chippenham and Swindon? I think a number of stone trains are routed that way. Perhaps someone more knowledgeable can confirm but I've definitely seen them in the loop at Challow.

[stuving]

I'm curious about this move, possibly on Saturday 24th Jan. as stated the caption.

An Up, London direction (Acton?) bound stone train, stated to have come from Westbury.
Passing through Reading Station on the Down Relief through platform 12

There were two trains on Saturday (in RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website)) that did this - Westbury-Chippenham-Swindon-Reading-Southall, turn in P1 (Down Main) and back on the Reliefs to Kennet Bridge, swap to the DM and vanish. The explanation is the usual one - it enters a possession, in this case from Reading to Moreton Cutting, and the odd manoeuvres are presumably to enter at the right end the right way round, travelling only on operational signalled lines.  There were other Main Line possesions further in, so presumably P1 at Southall was spare.

As to why it used P12, not P14 which was free at the time - I guess it was routed that way as the timetable had made a gap for it and terminating/turning services are usually timetabled to use P13-15.

I'm not sure about 6W05, though - the two I can find in RTT are 652Y and 651Z. Oddly, their transits of P12 show in their train pages but not on the RDG^‡(resolve) station page.

PS: In fact, loads of HC/HX are shown as going through Southall P1, including at least one while 651Z was there. So I imagine it sneaked off into the yard - I wonder if it needed to pick up  a second loco?

[Thatcham Crossing]

I was at Reading on Saturday, and by coincidence saw one of these stone trains pass through (would have been at about 1530).

I came in on a service from Pangbourne, and it looked like there was track replacement work in progress on at least one of the mains to the west of the viaduct, which was closed.

I then proceeded to Thatcham via the normal route (east side of Reading West triangle), but noticed an XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) Voyager taking the west side of the triangle west-bound, which I thought was unusual as other XC's seemed to reversing at Reading as normal.

Apologies for the slightly non-technical observations!

[stuving]

I was at Reading on Saturday, and by coincidence saw one of these stone trains pass through (would have been at about 1530).

I came in on a service from Pangbourne, and it looked like there was track replacement work in progress on at least one of the mains to the west of the viaduct, which was closed.

I then proceeded to Thatcham via the normal route (east side of Reading West triangle), but noticed an XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) Voyager taking the west side of the triangle west-bound, which I thought was unusual as other XC's seemed to reversing at Reading as normal.

Apologies for the slightly non-technical observations!

The possession had taken out the viaduct and P9-11, leaving P7&8 for West Country trains both ways. XC were terminating and starting to the north only; through trains were accessed by bus to Reading West.

[paul7575]

I came in on a service from Pangbourne, and it looked like there was track replacement work in progress on at least one of the mains to the west of the viaduct, which was closed.

I then proceeded to Thatcham via the normal route (east side of Reading West triangle), but noticed an XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) Voyager taking the west side of the triangle west-bound, which I thought was unusual as other XC's seemed to reversing at Reading as normal.

I believe the 'track replacement' was more to do with removal of the temporary running junction (Whitehouse Jn?) that was put in to transfer the mains to the original reliefs, and the reliefs to the temporary reliefs, while the flyover was being built.  Logically the return of the main lines to the normal condition will have to be over the current few weekends before the reliefs are then realigned to normal over the next few months.

On Saturday the hourly XC south coast services were calling at Reading West all day and using the west curve to/from the reliefs, the XC trains seen in the station would be the Reading - Newcastle terminators, running hourly with the alternate Southampton extensions abandoned.  

Paul

[Thatcham Crossing]

Thanks both above. I also noticed that the Basingstoke and Newbury/Bedwyn stoppers were using Platforms 1, 2 and 3, presumably as XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise))'s were not able to use the latter.

[Gordon the Blue Engine]

So the 1 in 90 will become the new ruling gradient for Up stone trains from Westbury - not very clever that this is being installed as part of a route upgrade especially at a location where Red signals can be expected.  I notice that Train 747K (a Whatley - Acton stone train) can load up to 4,800 tonnes.  Up a 1 in 90 this requires a theoretical drawbar pull (not allowing for rolling resistance etc) of some 53 tonnes, or 119,000 lbf, rather more than a Class 59 can deliver even if it can get the adhesion.  And that's before you take account of the effect of the curve and cant on rolling resistance.

So these stone trains will need Green signals from before Oxford Road Junction so they carry speed and momentum along the feeder line and up into the station, which will not be good for other trains around at the time. 

Or maybe they'll be put though P7, and avoid the so-called "freight only" feeder line completely.  Now that would be ironic!

Looking at RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website) for late April, we see most if not all passenger trains heading from Up Westbury (UW) towards London use the Festival Lines Feeder Lines into P10 or P11 at Reading which is perfectly logical.

And the heavy freights from UW towards London for which the ^freight only^ (according to FGW^▸ (First Great Western)/NR^» (Network Rail - home page) publicity a couple of years ago) Festival Lines Feeder Lines were supposedly provided to avoid a flat crossing over the UM, DM and DR east of Reading?  Well, most if not all are routed via P7 and cross the DM, UM and DR on the flat at Kennett Bridge!

Someone please tell me this is only temporary.  Or was I right about the gradients?

Edit: Festival Lines corrected to Feeder Lines as pointed out by CCTV99